I. Introduction to the hearing aid industry
1、What is a hearing aid? A hearing aid is a small amplification device used to assist hearing-impaired patients to improve their hearing. Hearing aids can be processed by a computer chip to improve the comprehension of the human voice part of the environmental sound, expand the originally inaudible sound, and then use the residual hearing of the hearing-impaired person, so that the sound can be sent to the auditory center of the brain, and feel the sound. Hearing aids are important medical aids for the hearing impaired and bring great convenience to the hearing impaired.
2、Classification of hearing aidsHearing aids can be classified according to different criteria, mainly including appearance classification, conduction mode classification, use classification and working principle classification.
(1) Appearance classification mainly includes: full ear canal type hearing aid, suitable for severely deaf patients or people who have higher requirements for appearance. In-the-ear hearing aids, suitable for users who need partial hearing restoration. Behind-the-ear hearing aids, suitable for people with mild to moderate deafness. Bone conduction hearing aids, which transmit sound by vibrating the skull, are suitable for people who have problems with the outer or middle ear but have normal inner ear function. Behind-the-ear hearing aids, including BTE and RIC, for all levels of hearing loss. Customized hearing aids, which are classified as In-the-Ear (ITE), In-the-Canal (ITC), Deep-in-the-Canal (CIC) and Super Invisible Deep-in-the-Canal (IIC), are customized according to the individual’s ear canal and are well hidden.
2) Classification of conduction mode: mainly including air-conduction type and bone conduction type hearing aids.
3) Classification of usage: including cassette type, spectacle type, behind-the-ear type, in-the-ear type, ear canal type and complete ear canal type.
4) Working principle classification: including analog hearing aids and digital hearing aids, digital hearing aids use digital signal processing technology to provide clearer and more natural sound quality.
3, the structure of the hearing aid hearing aid names, but the basic structure of all electronic hearing aids is the same. Any hearing aid consists of six basic structures. Mainly by the microphone, amplifier, receiver, battery, various volume tone knob and other components.
Hearing aids amplify sound by converting the acoustic signal into an electrical signal, amplifying the electrical signal, and then converting it into an acoustic signal. In the process of energy conversion, it is the microphone and the receiver that realize the function of transducer.
1) MicrophoneThe microphone is an input transducer that converts acoustic energy into electrical energy.
2) AmplifierThe amplifier amplifies the weak voltage converted by the microphone.
3) ReceiverThe receiver is another transducer, just the opposite of the microphone, which converts the amplified electrical signal into an acoustic signal or mechanical vibration that is transmitted into the ear canal. A receiver that converts to an acoustic signal is called an air-conducting receiver, and a receiver that converts to mechanical vibration is called a bone-conducting receiver.
4) Volume Regulation Volume regulation is a variable resistor or potentiometer that regulates the current through the amplifier, and the volume varies with the resistance of the electrical signal. When the volume is turned up, more current is required; when the volume is turned down, the current through the amplifier is reduced, making the sound lighter.
- How to choose a hearing aid? Choosing a hearing aid requires comprehensive consideration of a number of factors, including the type and degree of hearing loss, daily environment, personal preferences and needs, as well as professional advice and after-sales service. Here are some detailed information:
1) Hearing loss: Understanding your hearing loss is the first task, including the type, degree and location of hearing loss, which will affect the type, power and configuration of the hearing aid.
2) Daily environment: Choose the right hearing aid for your daily environment, as different hearing aids have different noise reduction and sound processing methods.
3) Personal preference and needs: There are many brands and models on the market, each with its own characteristics, so you can choose the right hearing aid according to your personal preference and needs.
4) Professional advice: It is very important to consult a professional doctor or fitter, who can give you the most suitable advice according to your hearing loss and personal needs.
5) After-sales service: Since hearing aids are complex electronic devices that require regular maintenance and replacement of parts, choosing brands and dealers with perfect after-sales service is a guarantee.
Second, the production process of hearing aids
The production process of hearing aids mainly includes the following steps:
(1) Design and R&D: According to user needs and hearing health care requirements, the designer determines the functional characteristics, size, shape and appearance of the hearing aid. Using three-dimensional modeling technology, the model design is completed.
2) Raw material procurement: Purchase raw materials such as chips, batteries, microphones, earplugs and so on. Pay attention to the quality and price of the raw materials, and make sure the suppliers deliver on time.
3）Manufacturing stage: including the production of plastic parts (e.g. hearing aid shell), the production of electronic parts (e.g. miniature capacitors, resistors, etc.), these are usually done by external suppliers.
4) Assembly: assembling the manufactured electronic parts, shells, circuit boards, etc., including the installation of high sensitivity microphones, speaker components and earpieces.
5) Testing: Various tests on electrical performance, acoustic performance, adaptability, etc. are conducted to ensure that the quality of the hearing aids meets the standards.
6) Product compliance and certification: Ensure that the hearing aids comply with the regulations and standards of the target market or region, such as CE certification, FDA certification, etc.
(7) Packaging and shipping: Packaging the hearing aids and preparing relevant documents and reports according to customer requirements.
8) Customized production: For customized hearing aids, molds are made according to the specific shape of the patient’s ear canal, and then customized earmolds are made, a process that involves precise measurements and customized designs.
Global Hearing Aid Industry Outlook
1, miniaturization
Hearing aid is a small amplification device to compensate for the patient’s hearing loss, and is also a relatively economical and widely used hearing aid. The global population aging number of people, the elderly hearing loss accounted for a very high proportion of the hearing aid market potential, the global hearing aid market demand has been gradually stimulated, in recent years to maintain a sustained growth trend. 1938, the miniaturization of the electronic tube is a turning point in the history of the development of hearing aids, the emergence of mercury batteries, so that the volume of hearing aids is significantly reduced, batteries and hearing aids can finally be combined into a single unit. From the size of a desktop at the end of the 19th century to weighing less than a gram at the end of the 20th century, although there is still no proven way to make hearing aids smaller, it is an inevitable trend, not only to make them smaller and smaller, but also to make them more and more aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, miniature hearing aids are not only the hope of manufacturers, but also the expectation of the majority of users.
2、Personalization
With the popularization of relevant hearing knowledge, people’s attention to their own hearing will gradually increase, but also will find that there are very few hearing impaired people with identical hearing loss, and each hearing impaired person’s hearing condition has its own special aspects. Therefore, customized hearing aids for each hearing impaired person to ensure their efficacy will be the direction of development in the future. In addition to customized hearing aids, there are also cosmetic changes. Hearing aids are not only the size of the ever-shrinking, in the color also added more brilliant colors and fashion elements, the public’s acceptance of hearing aids is rising, many people already have a personalized need to want to show hearing aids.
3、Intelligent
Hearing aid products have undergone more than a hundred years of invention and creation, there have been invisible hearing aids, in-the-ear, behind-the-ear, box, glasses, wireless and other lightweight and compact shapes, in the computer network, big data, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence and other technology support, will become more specialized, to better meet the diverse needs of people. In order to improve the quality of hearing aids, it is necessary to use hearing aids with the ability to memorize, recode and other “intelligence”, such as anti-noise, sound source localization, sound quality localization, etc. These are inseparable from computer technology and the Internet of Things. And these are inseparable from the computer technology and digital technology support. At present, intelligent hearing aids are gradually attracting people’s attention, but it has not yet become a mature product, far from meeting the needs of specific groups.
